Feeling Sorry
by Karl Stahl
Summary: Minato is feeling sorry for himself, after failing the university entrance test for the second time. Soon he will have a lot more reasons to feel sorry - and a few to feel happy.


Disclaimer: Ashika Sakura created "Sekirei". Square Enix has published and probably owns the manga. Seven Arcs produced the anime series; Keizō Kusakawa was the director.

The author of this story is in no way associated with the creators and owners of "Sekirei". This story is a work of fanfiction. No profit is made or even intended.

Rating: M (That means don't read, if you're not of legal age.)

Warnings: swearing, violence, sex, forced sex

Author's note: Yeah, stupid title. But it set's the mood for the beginning. I made a few, no, more than a few, tries to write a decent Sekirei story. I wanted to write something new and use a Sekirei, who hasn't been the main female lead in another story yet. This is, what I came up with. Characters may be slightly out of character, but it worked for me. Enjoy.

(story start)

Minato was feeling sorry for himself again. He had failed the test twice now and wasn't looking forward to another year as a ronin. The call to his mother hadn't been fun either. So he wasn't really aware of his surroundings while he listed all his sorrows in his head. Hearing his name he looked up.

"Hey Minato, come over! You have to look at this!"

The caller was a muscular youth in a leather jacket with bleach-blond hair. He waved. Minato had met the youth before the test and they had talked to pass the time and think about something other than the pressure.

"Hey Kensuke! Quit shouting, I'm coming."

Minato walked over to Kensuke and two other youths. They were wearing leather jackets too. The three young men stood in an entrance to what looked like a dead end. Coming closer Minato saw that it wasn't a dead end. It was just an open place for two dumpsters, not bigger than a garage.

Kensuke put an arm around Minato's shoulder and pulled him close.

"You really have to look at what we found," Kensuke told Minato. The other youths stepped back letting them through. Minato saw movement first, before he saw the figure. He stared.

"Yeah, we were surprised, too, when we discovered her. Isn't she a knockout?" Kensuke asked.

Minato looked at the woman in front of him. Astounding huge breasts on display, long legs, short-cropped black hair. Some kind of high black boots up to the middle of her thighs, matching black sleeves on her arms. Perhaps a cosplay outfit?

"You know," Kensuke said, "a friend of a friend told me about a rumor. There are chicks in weird outfits running through this city now and if you manage to catch one and plant a kiss on her lips, she'll do everything you tell her to." He winked at Minato. "We tried, but she's kind of shy. Then I saw you and thought I'll be nice and let you have a try. If you fail, our odds are four to one to grab her. Stop wasting time and try."

He gave Minato a friendly push towards the woman. Minato stumbled and looked at her. The shadows hid her eyes and he could only guess how she must feel. The situation could go from bad to worse fast. Minato didn't want to be arrested on molesting or rape charges. Studying would become impossible. He needed a plan, fast. He blinked. A crazy idea, but worth a try.

"Please play along," he whispered. "and we can get out of here without a fight."

Louder he said: "I'm Minato Sahashi. Lady, would you please allow me to kiss your lips?"

The woman stepped closer to him taking a better look. She moved with grace. Minato felt her eyes on him.

"You will take full responsibility?" she whispered.

"Yes, I will. I'm not a fighter, but I'll try to protect you."

The woman took a deep breath. Minato thought for a second she was trying to smell him, then he discarded such an absurd thought.

The woman had closed the distance between them and put her arms around his neck.

"You know how to kiss, do you?" she whispered. "You just purse your lips and blow." She winked. "Use your tongue." Her lips met his.

Minato felt the touch of her lips on his, their slight pressure. At first he didn't move at all. Overcoming his surprise, he pressed his lips against hers, varying the pressure, nibbling softly on her lower lip. Her lips opened with a soft moan and, remembering her advice, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her tongue met his and they rubbed against each other. The woman moaned again.

Suddenly a blinding light filled the small area. The woman had stepped back and Minato saw shapes like huge wings of light behind her. The light flared and vanished plunging the area in darkness.

Minato blinked his eyes a few times to accustom to the gloom. The woman was close again, her breasts pushing against his chest.

"I'm Ichiya, Sekirei number 18, and you're my Ashikabi now – forever and ever." she told him.

Minato blushed, still dazed from the kiss.

"Sorry, what?" he asked.

"What a freaking light show!" Kensuke called out behind him. "What the hell was that?"

Minato turned around. "I have no idea." he told the young man. "Let us through, please."

Kensuke took a step back, mimicked a bow, and made an inviting gesture. "Certainly, sir. Come out of the dark, please."

He straightened and winked at Minato. "Let's have a good look at what you caught."

Minato didn't hesitate. He took hold of Ichiya's hand and moved forward onto the sidewalk into the light.

Kensuke and his two friends formed a half-circle around them, blocking their escape routes.

I'm already thinking about escape, Minato thought. He turned his head and looked at Ichiya. She was beautiful, but there was something harsh about her. She's knows this will not be easy, he thought.

Kensuke leered openly at the woman. "I saw you kiss her," he said, "will she now do everything you say?"

"No." It was the first word Kensuke heard Ichiya utter.

The four young men stared at her in surprise.

"But," Kensuke struggled to say, "I heard differently."

"Not my problem. Now let us leave." she told him.

"Not so fast, babe. I think we're entitled to a small reward for hooking you up with your new boyfriend." Kensuke grinned.

"Do you have a girl like me of your own?" she asked.

"No, not yet."

"Then you have a problem. If you don't have such a girl, the MBI police will be very interested in how you knew."

Kensuke laughed. "Why should the police care?"

Ichiya pointed over his shoulder. "Do you see the surveillance camera over there? It records sound too. Girls like me are supposed to be a secret. Since you heard about us, somebody must have talked. They'll want to know who. You're going to tell them."

"Certainly not!" Kensuke protested.

The wail of police sirens in the distance seemed to contradict him. The young men turned towards the sound.

Ichiya used the opportunity, gripped Minato's hand tighter, pushed the young man on her side out of the way, and started to run, dragging Minato after her. They had build a lead of more than ten meters, before the others reacted, shouted, and gave chase.

Ichiya rounded a corner, pulled Minato in her arms, and jumped up. Using every tiny protrusion she ascended the wall of the house as fast as running on level ground. They were crouched on the roof, before the first pursuer rounded the corner. Ichiya put Minato on the ground and held a finger to his lips to quiet him.

"Where the hell are they?" one of Kensuke's friend shouted.

"They must be close, perhaps in a doorway or hiding behind some dumpsters. They can't be far. Move and let's find them. I'll teach that weakling that it's his friendly duty to share."

The others said something in agreement and they could be heard jogging down the alley.

"Nice friends you have," Ichiya mumbled, when she finally removed her finger form Minato's lips, when she couldn't hear the others any longer.

"I wouldn't call them friends. I just met Kensuke this morning and we talked for a while."

"He knows where you live?"

"No, we met at the university."

"Then he can find you there?"

"Not for another semester. I failed to get in again."

Minato shook his head. He leaned forward for a moment and observed the street below carefully. He straightened and breathed in deeply.

"Okay, they seem to be gone," he stated. "Let's wait a while longer and then get off this roof. Then you can be on your way."

The short-haired woman stared at him like he had sad something unbelievable.

"You want me to leave?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.

Minato shrugged. "Sure. It was a tight spot down there, but we've got out of it without any bruises. Why would you want to stay with me?"

Ichiya put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You said you take full responsibility!" she reminded him.

"I did. It got you out of there, didn't it?"

"Please, those losers weren't really a threat. We're not allowed to fight humans, but pushing them out of the way was doable. You kissed me!"

"Yes, I did, to get you out of there. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

She scowled. "Fact is, you kissed me. That makes you my Ashikabi and me your Sekirei. I'm not leaving you. You're stuck with me."

"For how long?"

"For life, you fool. Sekirei mate for life."

Minato rubbed the back off his head. This was all too much to handle for him.

"You mentioned Sekirei a few times by now. What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I am not human," she explained not-so-patiently, "I'm an alien, called a Sekirei."

Minato thought for a short while, very aware of her deepening scowl.

"You're pretty fast and strong. Getting me on this roof wasn't even a challenge for you. Care to explain?" he asked.

"I will explain. But not here. We need a more comfortable and secure place for that."

"Okay. How do we get down?"

Ichiya smiled and her face looked less harsh. "I'll take care of that. We don't get down here; your 'friends' may still be around."

She grabbed him and dashed off, jumping easily to the next roof.

Minato was so stumped, he didn't even scream in fright.

(scene break)

About have an hour later Minato looked around in a luxury hotel room. Ichiya had landed on the roof and they had entered through a door there. He wondered briefly, if rubbing his eyes or pinching himself would help. But this was real and there was no sense in denying.

The short-haired woman walked in, dressed like before, rubbing a towel through her wet hair.

She smiled at him and took a seat close to him on the couch.

Then she told him about MBI, the Sekirei Plan, Sekirei and Ashikabi. Ichiya showed him her black MBI-VIP-Card granting her access to unlimited funds, and finally told him the difference between winged and unwinged Sekirei. Minato's mind whirled with all this new and, frankly, unbelievable information.

"I have to think about all that for a while," he finally admitted, "perhaps sleep on it for a night or two. There's still one issue to discuss: you and me."

"You winged me. I'm yours now."

"When Kensuke said, you'll do everything I'll tell you to, he wasn't kidding?"

"He," she scratched her chin gathering her thoughts, "he oversimplified, I would say. I will not step in front of a speeding truck, if you tell me to, or rip my eye out to give to you as a present. But I will do most things you ask me to do to make you happy. And I will always protect you."

"That's an awful lot of power over a person." Minato mused. "I'm not comfortable with that."

"You're a nice guy, decent even, maybe. The Sekirei Plan is a battle. I sincerely hope you'll have the guts for it." she told him.

She stretched displaying her magnificent rack. "Now go take a shower then I'll take you to bed."

Minato convinced himself that he'd misheard the second part. A shower was a good idea. A cold shower.

(scene break)

In the morning Minato sat on the same couch again, dressed in a bathrobe only. He had a glass of water in his hands sipping slowly, while he remembered the night.

Ichiya had indeed wanted sex and she hadn't been shy about it. Curious and aroused he had relented and started to return her affections. Of course he had heard about guys who came too soon and it had been very embarrassing when it happened to him. His Sekirei had been kind and had not teased him (much), and finally coaxed him gently into another try. That had gone better, until the woman on top of him came together with him and her wings had appeared again. Before, after a kiss, they had been wings of light, nearly blinding white. Then they had been massive, their weight pressing him deeper into the mattress and their tips knocking plaster of the ceiling and leaving long scratches on the walls, when Ichiya beat them a few times. After that they had vanished and Ichiya had dropped down on his chest, out cold.

She'd only been out for a few scary minutes. When she was awake, she demanded another go, and so they spent some pleasant hours together before they fell asleep in each others arms.

There had been some noises during the night, televisions getting louder, phones ringing in the distance, but they had been in their own world and had ignored anything outside.

Minato remembered the massive wings, but his thoughts were on the fact that he had had sex for the first time in his life. After a rough start it had been a fantastic experience. He finished his glass off and thought about his chances of getting lucky again tonight. Ichiya might like that, he thought.

A sharp knock on the door disrupted his thoughts. Another knock.

"Open the door, Minato Sahashi. I know you're in there." a dark voice demanded.

Minato pulled the belt of the bathrobe tighter, walked to the door, and opened it.

A gray-haired woman in gray clothes with a katana on her belt stood there. Her cold eyes took his measure reminding him of his biology teacher looking down on a frog to be dissected.

The woman stepped forward and Minato stepped back. The door closed behind her.

"Didn't you hear the television or your phone ring?" the stranger asked.

"What?" Minato had no idea what she wanted. "Who are you and what to you want?"

"I'm Karasuba and I want you to watch your damned TV. Where's your Sekirei?"

"My girlfriend is still asleep in the bedroom."

"Girlfriend, hm? You don't have to play secrets with me, I'm a Sekirei too. I'll go fetch her."

"No-" But Karasuba had already entered the bedroom.

Minato thought about following or staying when the decision was taken from him.

With a loud crack the wall to the bedroom broke open and a gray-clad body flew over the couch and crashed so hard into the wall to the hotel floor that it left an imprint. Karasuba stepped forward, shook the dust of, and drew her blade. Ichiya stepped through the hole in the wall, naked except for her boots and gloves.

"That was a surprise," Karasuba grinned, "you've become stronger, Number 18. Maybe you'll be more than half a challenge."

"Threaten my Ashikabi again and I'll break you." Ichiya raised her fists getting ready to battle.

Minato did the bravest or dumbest thing he ever did in his young life and stepped between the two women.

"You," he said pointing at Karasuba, "put your katana away. We will talk this out."

"Ichiya," he ordered without taking his eyes of the gray Sekirei, "get dressed and join us."

Karasuba sheathed her blade and leaned again the wall.

"What did you do to her to get her so strong?" she asked. "How many weeks did you make her train?"

"Weeks? I just met her yesterday."

"That's impossible!" Karasuba protested.

Minato shrugged. He heard steps behind him. Ichiya stepped in front of him, her eyes on Karasuba.

"Sit down on the couch facing the TV," Karasuba said. "Oh."

One part of the wall she had come through had landed on the room's TV and turned it into high-tech junk without a screen, but a lot of broken glass in front.

"Plan B," she muttered and pulled a phone out. She pressed a button and held in front of her face.

"Karasuba reporting," she said, "the TV here's broken. I'm handing my phone to Minato Sahashi now."

Minato took the phone and looked at a man with glasses in a white suit to which he had added a white cape with a ridiculous high collar.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hello, Minato Sahashi," the man replied, "welcome to the Sekirei Plan. You winged your first Sekirei and perhaps you will wing more. I'm Hiroto Minaka, the master of the Sekirei Plan and the president of MBI."

He then went into his usual spiel about the battle to the last Ashikabi and Sekirei standing and the higher price, before reminding Minato to keep everything secret or pay a very heavy toll.

"Can't I be neutral, not take part in the battles for this fabulous price, and keep my Sekirei instead?"

"No, you have to battle. Failure to take part in the Plan or trying to flee the city will be punished severely. Your Sekirei might be terminated as punishment." Minaka grinned smugly.

His grin faded when he spied something over Minato's shoulder.

"What happened to your wall?" he asked.

Minato shrugged. "I guess Ichiya threw Karasuba through it, but I don't know for sure."

"I kicked her," Ichiya added, still staying between her Ashikabi and the other Sekirei.

"Did you hear? She kicked her through the wall."

"Impressive," Minaka chuckled. "You might make it to the Second Round. After I say good luck and good-bye, hand the phone back to Karasuba, will you?"

"Sure."

"Good luck and good-bye," Minaka said with a little wave and a cheery smile.

"Good-bye."

Minato held the phone out. Ichiya took it and gave it to Karasuba. The gray Sekirei listened and whispered a few short answers, before she ended the call and pocketed the phone.

"There's only one way your power could have increased so fast." she told Ichiya. "You have found your Great Wings. But how? He's a meek looking nobody."

Ichiya's answering smile didn't reach her eyes. "He's my Ashikabi. It's so easy, that you'll never understand it, Number four."

"Then I will have to cut the answer out of your hide." Karasuba said and closed her hand around the hilt of her blade.

"Stop! No more fighting!" Minato called.

"I'm a Sekirei," Karasuba told him with exaggerated patience, "she's a Sekirei. We're both participants in the Sekirei Plan. When participants meet, they fight."

"I don't want you to fight!"

"Then tell me how she got her Great Wings!" Karasuba demanded.

"We had sex." Minato told her with a blush.

"That's it? Just sex?"

"Just great sex," Ichiya said, "and we took flight to the heavens together."

"I offer a deal," Karasuba said, "one time only offer. You give me what I demand and I will not attack your Sekirei without reason or a direct order. I'm Disciplinary Squad, I can't offer you a free pass."

Minato saw Ichiya's confirming nod.

"What do you want?"

"Sex. Show me how to reach for my wings."

"S-s-sex? B-b-but you have an Ashikabi! Shouldn't you have sex with him?"

"My Ashikabi's gay and knows better than to bother me. You gave her Great Wings, there's a chance, it'll work for me, too."

"It won't," Ichiya said. She walked over to Karasuba and whispered something into her ear.

"It will work." Karasuba stated a short while later.

"You want to have sex with me, just like this?" Minato snapped his fingers.

"Yes and you'll do it, because it'll keep your Sekirei around a little longer."

"Then go and take a shower, please. The hotel can wash your clothes while we're at it. I'm not taking you to bed covered in dust." he said.

(scene break)

A while later Minato was alone with a freshly showered Karasuba in the bedroom. A grumbling Ichiya was standing guard outside. They had covered the hole in the wall with linens from the closet.

"Get out of your robe and on the bed," Karasuba ordered him, "I tell you my rules. You can touch, fondle, and," she swallowed, "penetrate, but under absolutely no circumstances are you allowed to kiss me. Is that clear?"

Minato had taken his place on the bed feeling nervous. "Yes, mistress. Touch, fondle, penetrate, no kissing."

"Then let's start."

"Don't scare me too much or I won't get it up."

"Boy, if you don't satisfy me, I'll do more than scare you."

Minato shuddered. "That's exactly what I meant. Now stop threatening me, drop the robe, and come here. Please."

(scene break)

Hard to say who was more surprised, when Karasuba's Great Wings appeared on their second try. Minato thought it must have been Karasuba, because she sat stock still looking at the huge white wings for the short time they were there with unblinking wide open eyes. Then she dropped on his chest like a stone, her hard forehead bruising the ribs over his heart.

When she woke, she reached for him and came at him again, wild, furious, and fast. Whatever she tried, her Great Wings did not appear again. Exhausted both of them fell asleep.

(scene break)

Karasuba woke first. With a frown she found herself cuddled to the side of the young man, her head on his chest listening to his calming heartbeat. For a moment she thought of Takehito then she repressed the memory. Gently she disentangled from Minato, stood up without a sound, and headed for the shower.

Her usual clothes gone, she made do with a bathrobe, one that still smelled of Minato.

(scene break)

Karasuba entered the living room, where a frowning Ichiya just ended a call on the hotel phone.

"How is he?" Ichiya asked.

"Asleep," the Black Sekirei answered. "Boy doesn't look it, but he's got stamina."

She lashed out with a kick to put Ichiya through another wall. The other Sekirei blocked and retreated four steps only.

"I should be stronger."

"You are. Faster too. Otherwise I would have dodged your sloppy kick."

Ichiya moved and kicked, stopping her foot a hair's breadth in front of Karasuba's nose. She lowered her foot and moved back, before the other Sekirei reacted.

"I should be stronger than you again," Karasuba muttered.

"That's not how it works. I told you."

"That's a myth, a children's story. I don't believe it."

"Before last night, I thought Great Wings a myth, too. Since we both know now they're real, can't the rest be true?"

Karasuba made a face like she'd bitten down on something sour. "Devotion to your Ashikabi increases your abilities? I refuse to believe that."

"Disbelieve doesn't change the facts. I kicked you through a wall and I blocked your kick. Draw your own conclusions."

The gray-haired Sekirei looked around. "Where is my nodachi?"

"Out of sight in this room. You'll get it back, when I have made sure Minato is alright."

Karasuba made the sour face again then she shrugged. "In that case let's order something to eat. I'm hungry." As an afterthought she added: "He'll be hungry too, when he wakes up."

(scene break)

Minato thought about his half-remembered dream while he showered. There was a kids playground on the way from his home to the university's campus. He had seen a girl there, weak with hunger, and hiding in the bushes behind the swings. While dreaming he felt a strong impulse to help her. Now he didn't know what to do. There were two Sekirei waiting for him. He had to talk with them first.

(scene break)

Dressed in his own clean clothes thanks to the hotel laundry Minato entered the living room. Karasuba was dressed again and Ichiya was in her usual garb.

At first look Ichiya seemed to be wearing some kind of flimsy swimsuit, because it exposed so much of her cleavage and of her toned midriff. It couldn't be a swimsuit though, because it had legs that ended in long black boots reaching to the middle of her upper thighs. Her shoulders and upper arms were bare, but her black fingerless gloves covered her hands and lower arms up to her elbows. The suit was half purple and half yellow. Two stripes framed her large chest, yellow on her right side, purple on her left, crossed under it running through a silver ring, leaving her midriff bare and met again way below her belly button. There were holes in the suit's legs that showed off the skin on the outer side of her thighs. Her hair was cut short, black, and freshly spiked, and her eyes were violet.

Minato walked over and gave her a hug. She kissed his cheek and told Karasuba that her nodachi was under the couch. Karasuba knelt and reclaimed her weapon.

"It's been fun, boy," she said, "but I will leave now."

"Take care, Kara," Minato said and waved nonchalantly. At least it was a decent try.

Karasuba blinked, returned the wave, and left.

"I thought she would never leave." Ichiya said as she returned to his arms.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"You will eat something now. We ordered and ate while you slept. After we go out looking for a friend of mine."

Minato set down at the set table. From the empty plates he guessed there had been six people eating. There was enough left to fill his stomach, even though most of it was cold by now.

"Tell me about your friend," he asked between bites.

"She's funny. Weapon user, staff and spear. We grew up together, trained together. We make a good team."

"Where are we looking for her?"

Ichiya smiled. He didn't ask for a reason, he didn't tell her he had other plans. He just got behind her plan.

"We start at the MBI-Tower. Sekirei are released there. I've called a detective agency and asked for a team to look for her."

"Good idea, but it will not be cheap."

The short-haired Sekirei shrugged. "That's taken care of thanks to my MBI-VIP-Card. It has its uses. I bought a cell phone with it and had the number registered. When Toyotama gets out, she should buy a cell, too, and try to reach me."

"Okay, let's go and find her."

(scene break)

They spent three hours cruising through the streets around the MBI-Tower. On Ichiya's insistence they hid from a pair of twins in tight fitting outfits. While they hid Ichiya's phone rang. The detective's called. Then they ran two streets farther.

They came on a strange scene. There was a black sedan surrounded by a group of four Sekirei, who looked like they had been in a scuffle. A fifth Sekirei held a sixth on her knees while a man in an expensive suit stood in front of her. He spit on his hand, when Ichiya pushed Minato into the man and kicked the fifth Sekirei in the head. The green-haired woman rose from her knees with a roar and a silver staff appeared in her hand. Ichiya pulled Minato up and used him to knock the other man down again, Minato's elbow hitting his nose not by accident.

"He's the one, Toys," she yelled. "Do it!"

Minato found him face to face with the tall, silver-eyed beauty. "You're her Ashikabi?"

"Yes."

"Pucker up."

"Are you sure? I don't want to force you or take advantage."

"I'm sure. Now do it, before the others attack."

Minato nodded then her lips descended on his. He closed his eyes for a short tongue-battle. When he opened them again, he saw the wings of light fading away.

The man had risen with the help of his Sekirei and now stared angrily at Minato.

Ichiya stepped in front of Minato and gave him a very hot french kiss making her wings appear. Then she turned towards the man.

"This is a challenge to battle under Sekirei Plan rules." she declared. "That means one-on-one fights. Your riffraff only has a chance against me, if they manage to pile up, which isn't allowed under Plan rules. I alone can go through your girls like a hot knife through butter and Number 16 is at least as good as I am."

The man dusted a speck of dust from his now not-so-immaculate suit. "I agree with your analysis. There's nothing to win here. You, young man, made an enemy today."

"It's wrong to force a winging," Minato said, "and using spit is demeaning."

"They're tools. You can't humiliate a tool. Don't forget they aren't human. It's better they know their place from the beginning."

"I disagree."

"Then we agree to disagree. Don't pull a stunt like this again." The man signed to his Sekirei. Two entered the car with him, two ran off together. The Sekirei stayed, whom Ichiya had attacked before. She picked something up from the ground where Toyotama had knelt, cracked her whip, and glared at the trio. Then she turned around and ran after the other two.

Ichiya turned to Minato and gave him another hug and a kiss. "Thank you. We arrived just in time."

"You're welcome. Now introduce me to your friend, please."

Ichiya turned around and gestured to her friend to step closer.

"This is my friend Toyotama, Number 16. This is mine, sorry, our Ashikabi, Minato Sahashi."

Minato looked at Toyotama. She was tall, muscular, and obviously well-trained. She wore purple, short pants with a broad white stripe down the middle and a bustier that was white around her neck while the rest of it was purple allowing a generous amount of cleavage to show. It showed off her ripped midriff as well. She wore black, velvet-looking gloves that reached up to the middle of her upper arms and black over-knee boots of the same material reaching up to the middle of her thighs. Both, gloves and boots, ended in a small, white trim. Two brown leather belts at the front and back of her pants were fixed to her brown belt and held her boots up like garters. Her long hair was dark green and hung down her back past her waist. Her eyes were silver. And her rack was bigger than Ichiya's.

He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Hi."

Toyotama smiled back and winked. "Hi there." She turned to Ichiya. "So, Ix, ((she pronounced it like the 'ix' in 'fix')) tell me what you've been up to."

"Talk on the way. There's something I want to check out." Minato told them and looked for the next bus stop.

(scene break)

About an hour later they arrived at their destination. Minato had made a detour and bought some apple juice at a store.

"A playground?" Toyotama asked. "We drive an hour to visit a playground?"

"I had a strange dream tonight."

"It's raining," Toyotama complained, "and I'm to old for this kind of play."

Minato walked past the swings to the bushes behind. He bent a pair of bushes out of the way and swore under his breath. Then he reached down and pulled a young woman out in the open. Her white blouse reminded him of a Miko, but no Miko would wear such a short red skirt, boots, and red fighting gloves.

"One of you?" he asked.

He said down and pulled the girl into his arms, holding her head up.

Ichiya stepped close and looked. "That's Musubi, Number 88. She's a fist fighter like me and a bit childish."

"I dreamed of her here." Minato muttered. Louder he added. "Hey Musubi, wake up."

The girl stirred. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at him. She opened her mouth and coughed.

"We brought something to drink. Take small sips."

Minato guided the bottle of apple juice to her lips and let her have small sips, until he deemed it enough.

Musubi looked a bit better and some color had returned to her to her skin. Her big brown eyes watched him curiously.

"I've seen you before," she whispered.

"I'm Minato Sahashi," he told her. "Can you stand?"

He helped her up and with a little help she managed to stand on her own feet. Then she saw the two other Sekirei and with a yelp she hid behind Minato.

The young man laughed softly. "Don't be afraid. They're with me."

He heard a deep growl behind him.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "We passed a restaurant on the way here. Come, you're invited."

Leaning on his arm, the young woman nodded her agreement.

(scene break)

Musubi still watched the other Sekirei warily – after she had cleaned her fifth plate. She sat on the left side of Minato, Ichiya on his right, and Toyotama vice versa. The others had finished after their third plates and Minato was still fighting, no, toying with half the food on his second.

The young man seemed nice enough, but his Sekirei were another matter. Without a doubt Ichiya was close to him. They hugged on occasion and from time to time there were little gestures between them, that showed they cared for each other, like her possessive hand on his thigh right now. Toyotama wasn't as close to her Ashikabi, but while they were growing up the Two had been nearly inseparable. Both had liked to play rough jokes on the others and they hadn't been above demonstrating their strength in a training fight. For their opponents that had usually meant bruises and broken bones. They were bad news. Was their Ashikabi bad news too? Then he asked her, if she wanted another plate, and she was certain he was the best man in the world.

(scene break)

Toyotama watched Musubi shovel the food on her seventh plate into her mouth. The girl could eat. It distracted her only for a short time from going through the ambush on her in her mind again. They had worked as a group and worn her out, bringing her down on her knees. The short speech the man had given on the spot had chilled her to her bones. She hadn't expected to react to somebody, but she had wished for decent treatment. She wasn't a tool! She wasn't.

She looked at Ix. Ichiya caught her looking and shot her a quick smile. Then her attention was back on the young man, when she wasn't checking the restaurant for potential threats to her, to their Ashikabi. Toyotama checked her half of the room; no change. Ix had changed though. Her near permanent scowl was gone and she seemed different, happy. Toyotama had seen nearly every mood of her friend, but happy was rare. She smiled when she looked at he- their Ashikabi.

The boy/man didn't look like much. He seemed nice and he was polite. On one hand he had asked her if she wanted to be winged by him. He had not wanted to force the her (which was a laugh on its own) and he had been clearly uncomfortable that she had to decide under pressure. On the other hand he had done that in the middle of a battle. So some honor and not much practical sense. And Ix had called him "the one". Toyotama thought for a while longer. In the end she trusted Ichiya and Ichiya seemed to like and trust their Ashikabi. My Ashikabi, who asked, before he winged me, she thought.

Toyotama's face didn't show it, but her body relaxed a little, while her eyes searched her half of the restaurant for potential threats again.

(scene break)

Ichiya waited until Musubi had finished her seventh plate, before she asked her Ashikabi:

"Will you wing Musubi and add her to the harem?"

Minato gulped and looked at the short-haired Sekirei with big eyes.

"I must have misheard that." he said.

"It's a simple question: Will you wing Musubi and add her to the harem?" Ichiya repeated.

Minato scratched the back of his head.

"When did I start to have a harem?" he asked.

"When you winged Toyotama," Ichiya said matter-of-factly. "A group of Sekirei bound to one Ashikabi is called a harem, or a flock, if you don't like the first name."

Toys lips twitched. She was amused, no doubt.

"What about Musubi?" Ichiya asked, leaving the explanation of Sekirei customs for later.

"I hadn't thought about that," Minato admitted, "I just wanted to help her." He shrugged. "I had no further plans."

"Plan further." Ichiya goaded him.

The young man looked at Musubi, who had listened with wide eyes.

"What do you want, Musubi?"

"Can I have another plate, please."

"No, you've cleaned seven plates by now. It should be enough for now. Too much food might make you sick." Minato told her. "I asked, what to you want to do now? Will you find a place to stay and search for your Ashikabi?"

Musubi looked down. "I have no money," she said. "I was so excited to leave and go outside, I forget to pick up my card."

Toyotama snorted and Ichiya face-palmed.

"Why don't you go back and get it?" Minato asked.

"That's a bad idea." Ichiya said. "She can only get her card at the MBI-Tower. Everybody looking for an unwinged Sekirei will be in the vicinity. She'll never make it. If the guy who ambushed Toys is still there with his Sekirei, they will do to her what they planned to do to Toys."

"Why not call and ask for the card to be sent over?" Minato asked.

"That's not done. The cards are matched to us, only the owner can activate them." Ichiya produced her card and showed it to Minato. "Black card, golden lettering," she described.

She placed the card on the table. "Watch."

After a short while the letters vanished and the card turned black.

Toyotama picked the card up and showed it to Minato. "Still black. It's heat- and DNA-activated, somehow reacts to things like dead skin cells. Pretty much impossible to forge with technology available outside of MBI's laboratories."

"The card isn't the issue here," Ichiya reminded them, "Musubi is. Will you wing her or do we take her out of the game?"

"What?" Minato was shocked.

"She's an unwinged Sekirei. Against Toys or me she doesn't have a chance. Against both of us she's toast." Ichiya explained like she was taking about a simple math problem. "With us she might be a helpful addition. Otherwise she's a potential opponent. It's easier to take her out, while she's weak."

Musubi looked ready to bolt. Minato laid his hand on hers to reassure her.

"Absolutely not!" he told his Sekirei in a new, sharp voice. "I didn't search for her, found her, and fed her, so you could take her out! You will not attack her. Do you understand?" He glared at Ichiya.

Ichiya bowed her head. "Yes, my Ashikabi," she mumbled, afraid of his sudden dark mood.

She heard Toyotama's answer. "Yes, my Ashikabi."

He was patting Musubi's hand! Ichiya had to fight not to claw into his thigh.

"What do you want to do, Musubi?" he asked again.

Musubi looked at the other Sekirei.

"Can we talk alone?" she asked.

"No!" Ichiya and Toyotama answered at the same time.

"We will not leave you alone with an unbound Sekirei," Toyotama said, "it's too dangerous. If you die, we die too."

Minato frowned. "Explain!" he demanded.

"It's true," Toyotama said, "our lives are bound to the Ashikabi who winged us. If he dies, our lives end with his."

"It's true." Musubi whispered in confirmation. "Every Sekirei knows that."

"That's more responsibility that I asked for," Minato stated. "Musubi, you haven't told me what you want."

"I want to find an Ashikabi, who loves me, fight for him until the last battle, and win the price for him against my friend Karasuba."

"You know Karasuba?"

"Bitch,"

"Not so tough,"

"Yes."

"I kicked her through a wall." Ichiya said to answer Toyotama's questioning look.

"And I had to stop you two from fighting." Minato stated.

"Did she actually listen to you?" Toyotama asked.

"She did. We talk about that later." Minato said. "For now, why don't we pay and return to our hotel? You're free to come with us, Musubi. We could rent an extra room for you for one night."

"I like that. Is there room service?"

Minato signaled the waitress. "Yes, there's room service. You may order one meal, and one meal only, from the menu."

Musubi pouted, when they left the restaurant.

(chapter end)


End file.
